Operamaniac: Horses for Courses

Thu 4 Jun 2015

This season has been particularly interesting for Donizetti fans in London. From Opera Rara’s Les Martyrs to Glyndebourne’s Poliuto, not to mention ETO’s performances of The Siege of Calais and The Wild Man of the West Indies, we have seen a revival of unknown or almost forgotten operas by this workaholic Italian genius, together with some of his most famous works such as Maria Stuarda at the Royal Opera.

Operamaniac: The Baltic States

Mon 16 Mar 2015

Call me a nerd but when I travel I like to explore the region’s musical tradition and culture. For me, tourism not only includes checking in (and selfies) at famous spots but also attending concerts and festivals.

Operamaniac: Notes on Les Martyrs

Mon 3 Nov 2014

Daniel, OAE Finance Officer, aka Operamaniac, was lucky enough to sit in on some of the Les Martyrs recording sessions with Opera Rara and Sir Mark Elder last week. Here he ponders on the experience and what he learnt from it.

Operamaniac

Mon 27 Oct 2014

‘My heyday is over, and another must take my place. The world wants something new. Others have ceded their places to us and we must cede ours to still others… I am more than happy to give mine to people of talent like Verdi.’ – Gaetano Donizetti

Operamaniac: 5 things we take for granted (or why Wagner spoiled all the fun)

Fri 8 Aug 2014

We tend to take a wide range of things for granted and immutable, as we never saw them being done on another way. However, things change. Who could imagine that in the 21st century we would be flying and using the internet? Ok, maybe Bartolomeu de Gusmao with his “Passarola” but he was a bit alone on that. Therefore, let me share with you five things that have changed with time, be it by a matter of taste or practicality.

Operamaniac

Tue 17 Jun 2014

Opera might have emerged as a form of art to entertain the rich and powerful, but it soon became used as a way to express political and social discontent. You might think such liberties are only a product of the 20th century, but the fact is kings and governments throughout history have trembled and even fallen because of Opera.

Operamaniac

Tue 29 Apr 2014

When one thinks of Brazil images of football, nice beaches, girls in bikinis, palm trees, slums and Samba very easily come to our mind. Brazil is one of those countries that, despite all its idiosyncrasies, always inspires something in the imagination. It seems almost effortless to them how they conquer the world via their culture.

Operamaniac – 5 Operas to see before you die

Thu 17 Apr 2014

We all have our favourite operas (if you are into opera, of course). And frequently an intense debate among opera fanatics can arise over who is the best composer. After two hundred years we still debate about Wagner and Verdi, two amazing composers that changed opera forever. With this in mind, I have recently been asked the following: “Daniel, if you had to nominate five (and only five) operas that everyone must see before they die, what would they be?”

Operamaniac

Tue 11 Feb 2014

It all begun when I, a little child at the time, found an old 1984 recording of the Teatro alla Scala of Verdi’s “I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata” with Ghena Dimitrova and Jose Carreras in the leading roles.